Concrete crack injection is a well-proven solution to heal concrete cracks. As the product is developed solely for this purpose, it should do a better job that other patching methods used to repair anything from uneven surfaces to holes and cracks. If you have a crack in a concrete structure somewhere in your home that you need to repair, the easiest thing to do is to call a concrete contractor. However, it's very possible to perform yourself, without too much trouble. The first thing you need to ensure when thinking about injecting a concrete crack by yourself is that you perform the correct preparations, as these will reflect in the end result of the crack repair.
Wear safety gear
You should start off by taking a look at your own gear. Concrete crack injections aren't very dangerous procedures, but you should still make sure you use the right gear to protect yourself from any harm that it might cause you. Use safety glasses to protect your eyes from dust and dirt. Also wear gloves if you were to accidentally cut yourself on the jagged edges of the concrete crack.
Cleaning the crack
Cleaning is the next step of the preparations. You need to start off by scrubbing the crack entirely clean from dust, dirt, and pieces of loose concrete. Use a brush to get the worst bits off and then use a industrial hover if you have access to one. If you don't have a hover, it's not that much of a drawback; it just means you'll need to scrub the crack longer to make sure it's completely clean. You also need to make sure it's free from paint and other substances, as these might react to the injection sealer and make it function poorly. Use paint thinner applied to a rag to remove any substances like these, but try to not get any in the crack itself. You should also not use water when cleaning the crack, as moisture might get into the crack and damage internal structures, which can cause you much bigger problems than you already have.
Make sure it's dry
As a final step of your preparations, you need to make sure the crack is completely dry. The concrete crack injection filler might not work as effectively under moist or wet conditions. It's also important as the filler will seal the moisture that's hiding within the crack in, which can cause the internal steel net structures within the concrete to rust and make the concrete crack even more. If it takes a long time to get dry, you should blow on the crack with a hairdryer until all visible concrete is dry.
Share30 November 2015
Concrete may seem boring to the uninitiated, but as the wife of a concrete contractor, I have learned, over the years, that it is anything but boring. Contemporary concrete can be used in a range of applications from functional sound walls to decorative koi ponds, and it can be left gray, stamped or acid stained. If you are getting ready to do a project, you have come to the right place. In this blog, I am going to post a myriad of information about concrete with an emphasis on project ideas and the different uses of concrete. By the end, I hope you find concrete as exciting as I do!
